Cruise Europa was launched at Castellammare di Stabia shipyard. It is the third of a series of four innovative cruise ferries ordered by Grimaldi Group (Naples), Italy’s biggest shipping company and leading European operator within the motorways of the Sea. The ferries are co-financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Godmother to the ship, that was launched sliding down the traditional slipway in a spectacular ceremony, was Iliana Grimaldi, spouse of Emanuele Grimaldi, Chairman of Minoan Lines. After delivery, scheduled for next October, Cruise Europa will be employed on the route Ancona / Igoumenitsa / Patras operated by Greek shipping company Minoan Lines, owned by Grimaldi Group.

Cruise Europa is the largest cruise ferry covering Mediterranean routes and will be outfitted following the same high standards found on cruise ships, such as the interior design of public areas and cabins and the wide range of on-board entertainment on offer, that includes wellness and fitness areas, a pool, restaurants, a casino, a disco area, shops, internet points and special kids’ areas.

225 m long and 31 m wide, with a gross tonnage of 54,310 tons and a loading capacity of 250 cars and 3,000 linear metres of coaches, trucks, campers and trailers, Cruise Europa will accommodate up to 3,000 passengers in 413 cabins, of which 18 will be Owner’s Suites and 50 Junior Suites, besides 542 reclining seats. The ship will be able to operate at a 28-knot speed. What differentiates the new ship from Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcelona (the two vessels delivered by Fincantieri to Grimaldi Group in 2008 and currently serving the daily route Civitavecchia / Porto Torres / Barcelona), is a higher passenger capacity and a new arrangement of selected public spaces. Just like the two ships built before her, Cruise Europa was designed bearing in mind environmental and energy saving requirements: along the Motorways of the Sea the ship will carry hundreds of trucks and thousands of passengers every day, contributing to reduce road congestion and to lower remarkably CO2 emissions.

Emanuele Grimaldi, Chairman of Minoan Lines, has declared: “Cruise Europa is the living proof that it is possible to successfully combine high service quality with “low cost”. This ship will provide an on-board service level on a par with that of cruise ships, offering a truly pleasant journey marked by comfort, relax and leisure, all at a reasonable price. Moreover, Cruise Europa is a model of sustainable mobility, in economic and environment-related terms, that will give the Motorways of the Sea business between Italy and Greece a chance to grow remarkably, proving that, a few months from the acquisition, Grimaldi Group’s goal is to expand and strengthen Minoan Lines”.

Fincantieri’s CEO, Giuseppe Bono, has thus commented: “The launching of this ship represents a further step in the consolidation of our partnership with Naples’ Grimaldi Group, in the forefront with us in the realization of some of the world’s most innovative projects regarding coastal navigation. Our two companies have turned, year by year, into true global operators, each one within its field of competence, testifying the level of excellence reached by our country in the maritime sector”. Further emphasizing its valuable eco-friendly features, Cruise Europa will be awarded the “Green Star” certificate by Italian ship classification society RINA, that classifies ships designed, built and run in full respect of the environment, thanks to the Clean Air and Clean Sea notations.